TheFineLine
Member
Hanging out with my youngest today. 
Its a Smith & Wesson Performance Center 1911 Round Butt with a Scandium Frame. It is brand new. I took it to the range yesterday and put 200 mixed rounds through it. It cycled them all without a hiccup. Coming in at 29.6 oz (.3 ounces heavier than a Glock 21) recoil is mildly snappy yet quite manageable.
There is no play on the slide, it is tight and very smooth. The fish scale slide cuts are quite effective. They are not too sharp when hand cycling and don't catch at all when you slide your hand forward. The round butt sits very nicely in my grip. I had carpal tunnel surgery last year and I have to say it is great not having the edge dig into the ligament in my palm. The 30 LPI checkering on the frontstrap is a perfect texture. I have a Dan Wesson Valor with 25LPI that will chew up your fingers if they are not already calloused.
Unlike it's little brother in the E-Series which has night sights this one has standard three dot. I think they nixed them to keep the cost down. It shot 2 1/2 inches high at 10 yards. I will be replacing the sights with some TFOs. It has cuts on the top of the slide and on either side of the firing pin stop. Shooting it side by side with the Valor on a cloudless day with the sun overhead I noticed a diminution of glare. It is a nice touch. The ambi-safety has a good angle and actuates positively. The left side is a little wider than the right which looks a little odd but I'm sure serves a purpose.
The trigger and action job on it is fantastic. The trigger pull measured 3.47 lbs. It is every bit as crisp and smooth as the Valor. I don't think it could be improved.The Performance Center knocked it out of the park.
I do have a couple of gripes. The black finish on it is the weakest finish of any gun I've owned. After only 200 rounds the barrel is worn down to the steel in a couple of spots. I expect wearing on a finish as I use my guns but this is just weak. I will eventually have it refinished by Robar with their Roguard finish and get rid of that damn ugly pointless lawyer-ese on the frame. I think the Performance Center should've either skipped the finish or put something else more durable on it.
Lastly the grips. I'm not sold on them. They're a bit over the top. I intended on replacing them almost immediately but my wife really likes them so I'm going to keep them on for a while and see if they grow on me. IDK, we'll see. They feel great. They don't chew up my side like some of the other carry guns I have and I like that so I may just die them darker. The grip screws backed out three times while shooting yesterday. I'll either get some bushings or some locktite to fix that.
I like the lightening cuts on the slide. The barrel is not ported so they serve no other purpose than to lighten the slide and aesthetics. They are very distinctive and I like guns that are a little different than what everyone else has so this fits my tastes. I know it is not for everyone, and that's kinda the point. With a new finish, night sights, and new grips I'll be spending another ~$500 on it. It was NIB for $1,299. With the aforementioned exceptions I'm very pleased with this new guy. It will see alot of range and carry time.
Its a Smith & Wesson Performance Center 1911 Round Butt with a Scandium Frame. It is brand new. I took it to the range yesterday and put 200 mixed rounds through it. It cycled them all without a hiccup. Coming in at 29.6 oz (.3 ounces heavier than a Glock 21) recoil is mildly snappy yet quite manageable.There is no play on the slide, it is tight and very smooth. The fish scale slide cuts are quite effective. They are not too sharp when hand cycling and don't catch at all when you slide your hand forward. The round butt sits very nicely in my grip. I had carpal tunnel surgery last year and I have to say it is great not having the edge dig into the ligament in my palm. The 30 LPI checkering on the frontstrap is a perfect texture. I have a Dan Wesson Valor with 25LPI that will chew up your fingers if they are not already calloused.
Unlike it's little brother in the E-Series which has night sights this one has standard three dot. I think they nixed them to keep the cost down. It shot 2 1/2 inches high at 10 yards. I will be replacing the sights with some TFOs. It has cuts on the top of the slide and on either side of the firing pin stop. Shooting it side by side with the Valor on a cloudless day with the sun overhead I noticed a diminution of glare. It is a nice touch. The ambi-safety has a good angle and actuates positively. The left side is a little wider than the right which looks a little odd but I'm sure serves a purpose.
The trigger and action job on it is fantastic. The trigger pull measured 3.47 lbs. It is every bit as crisp and smooth as the Valor. I don't think it could be improved.The Performance Center knocked it out of the park.
I do have a couple of gripes. The black finish on it is the weakest finish of any gun I've owned. After only 200 rounds the barrel is worn down to the steel in a couple of spots. I expect wearing on a finish as I use my guns but this is just weak. I will eventually have it refinished by Robar with their Roguard finish and get rid of that damn ugly pointless lawyer-ese on the frame. I think the Performance Center should've either skipped the finish or put something else more durable on it.
Lastly the grips. I'm not sold on them. They're a bit over the top. I intended on replacing them almost immediately but my wife really likes them so I'm going to keep them on for a while and see if they grow on me. IDK, we'll see. They feel great. They don't chew up my side like some of the other carry guns I have and I like that so I may just die them darker. The grip screws backed out three times while shooting yesterday. I'll either get some bushings or some locktite to fix that.
I like the lightening cuts on the slide. The barrel is not ported so they serve no other purpose than to lighten the slide and aesthetics. They are very distinctive and I like guns that are a little different than what everyone else has so this fits my tastes. I know it is not for everyone, and that's kinda the point. With a new finish, night sights, and new grips I'll be spending another ~$500 on it. It was NIB for $1,299. With the aforementioned exceptions I'm very pleased with this new guy. It will see alot of range and carry time.
